Philatelic Collections: General Collections

The British Library Philatelic Collections are the National Philatelic Collections of the United Kingdom. The Collections were established in 1891 with the bequest of the Tapling Collection, and now about 50 important collections or Archives are held, all of which have been acquired by donation, bequest, or transfer from Government departments.

The Tapling Collection

Formed by Thomas Keay Tapling, MP, and bequeathed in 1891. The coverage is worldwide, and is of postage stamps and postal stationery (with some telegraph stamps) for the period 1840 to 1890, and is virtually complete in all basic issues. Apart from the rarities, the collection is strong in unused examples, with excellent ranges of shades, and includes essays, proofs, blocks and covers. It is probably the only major collection formed during the 19th century which remains intact.

The Supplementary Collection [to the Tapling Collection] contains chiefly British Commonwealth material donated between 1900 and 1922, mainly by the Crown Agents. It is almost all unused, with some important proofs.

A collection of unused British Commonwealth issued stamps produced by the Crown Agents, covering the period 1922 to the present. Material given from 1900 to 1922 is included in the Supplementary Collection.

Includes essays, artwork, proofs, colour trials and associated records for postage and revenue stamps, postal stationery, covers, postal orders, and paper money produced by the Crown Agents mainly for British Commonwealth countries. The Archive is extensive and covers the period from about 1900 to recent date, but some types of material or records are of a lesser span.

Formed by Dr Edward Mosely, the collection is of British Africa postage stamps to 1935. Mainly unused, particular strength is material from the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius and Rhodesia. The Mosely Collection was donated in memory of her parents Dr & Mrs Edward Mosely of Johannesburg, by Mrs Florence Hester Kathleen Cunningham in 1945.

The collection covers the postage stamps issued during, or associated with, the 1914-18 First World War, and is strong in War Tax issues, mainly unused. Formed by James Wilson-Todd and presented by Lady Wilson-Todd.